True Colours

Girl on the Corner

Everybody knows the girl on the corner.
She’s the one that’s so popular.
Classy, stylish, thoughtful, friendly, trustworthy, reliable, educated, sensible; nobody’s fool.
She’s rich and powerful.
Some want to be like her,
Others want to be her.
The perfect woman from good stock, with good upbringing.
You’re absolutely safe around her.
Everyone is always respectful to her.
Always curious about her:
How are you doing?
How are the kids?
How are your folks?
Where are you going?
Are you heading off to work?
Going to the gym for a good workout?
When last have you been to the movies?
Would you like to go?
She’s like a model.
A celebrated dramatic actress; a star.
So desirable.
Oh yes, she leads a privileged life.
The grass really is greener on her side.
It’s so easy to feel inferior to her but
We all love that girl on the corner.

12 thoughts on “True Colours”

A delightful photo to which the words add a perfect touch of classiness. She really comes around that corner and lamp post with attitude! I love the way you have decided to capture her, not fully exposed to the viewer and in big and elegant strides towards the viewer.

I took two steps to the left to show her in this semi-hidden view. Like any of us, she’s putting herself out there where life can be so mean and hard but because of that insensitivity, there is still reasonable apprehension to let herself be so vulnerable.

“Cross Step” was the working title until I was satisfied with the final draft of the free verse that organically came out of me every time I went back to look at this image. It’s all a challenge to how we dare look at a stranger and assume we know their guts. The old adage is “never judge a book by its cover” but even with that wise axiom in the forefront of our consciousness, we prejudge again and again, and even make excuses for the times we know it’s not right.